


Surprisingly, the God of Thunder is Not a Good Wing-Man

by adelesbian



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, F/F, I describe a panic attack pretty indepth I don't know what to tag that as, I don't know what kind of au this is I'm sorry, I got this idea watching the incredible hulk returns, M/M, Mental Health Issues, fem!donald blake - Freeform, like he's a pokemon, suck at tagging, thor gets called out of the necklace, thruce become dads to a college student
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-17 05:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14825894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adelesbian/pseuds/adelesbian
Summary: Don Blake is Bruce Banner's student aid and a very good one at that, but she has a secret. She is the unwilling host of the Norse God of Thunder, and she doesn't know why. Thor thinks she's supposed to be helping him become a better person, but instead, he is helping her cope with her own trauma with the help of Dr. Banner.Did I mention that Dr. Banner turns into an 8 ft green monster when angry and has childhood trauma too?ORA Lesbian is forced to deal with her trauma and Thor while Thor falls in love with her Professor who also happens to have to deal with his trauma. Also Jane Foster is a lesbian too.





	1. Thor Breaks a Speaker Because That's How You Stop a Panic Attack, Right?

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally just a really self-indulgent fic that I wrote at midnight, yes Don is a shameless self-insert character, no I don't care

“Dr. Banner, I’ve finished sorting all the chemicals like you asked me to. Is there anything else you need me to do before I leave?”  
Bruce looked up from the microscope he was using. “There are some files for you to sort,” he said, “on that table over there. While you’re at it can you turn on the speakers? It’s way too quiet in here.”  
“Okay, Dr. Banner.”  
Bruce was extremely appreciative of his new student aid, Don Blake. She was a hard worker and would do all the menial tasks he normally put off for days. She did have a strange sense of style. She was a typical sporty butch, but she never took off this necklace with a Viking hammer on it. Sometimes he wanted to ask her about it, but he doubted it would be an appropriate question as he was her professor after all.  
Don sat at the table sorting the files into neat stacks humming along to Bruce’s dad rock that was playing softly. Besides the music, the room was completely silent, and neither of them said anything for somewhere near twenty minutes. This happened a lot. They both became completely engrossed in what they were doing that they forgot the other was there. Honestly, Bruce didn’t mind it, and neither did Don.  
“Can you change the song?” Don said her voice shaking.  
“Hmm… What?” Bruce said looking up from his microscope and looking over at her.  
Don was sitting completely still except for her forefinger which was scratching her thumb. Her face was pale, and she looked sick.  
“Are you okay?” Bruce asked standing up.  
“Please, change the song,” Don said suddenly beginning to shake. Her breath was labored, and she was beginning to cry.  
Bruce took a few steps towards her then realized she needed him to change the song. He was halfway to his computer when there was a loud crash and then the music was silent. He turned around and a very tall man was hugging her and rubbing her back. Bruce stared at the man for a number of reasons. One, he had no idea where he came from. Two, he was wearing armor. Three, he was the most attractive man Bruce had ever seen in his life.  
“Is she okay?” Bruce asked; his mind too scrambled to think of a good question to start with.  
“She will be fine. Your effort was valiant, but you were too slow to act. I’m sorry for your speakers,” The man said now ending his embrace of Don.  
Don was wiping her eyes embarrassed that she had a panic attack in front of her professor when she realized who was the one comforting her. “Shit…” She mumbled.  
“What happened?” Bruce asked finally, but still too scrambled to find the words he wanted.  
“Don had a panic attack because of...”  
“I realize it was a panic attack,” Bruce snapped. He was gesturing wildly to his damaged speakers, to the strange man, to Don. “I meant about all this!”  
Don looked up from where she sat. “Dr. Banner, you may want to sit down,” She said.  
Bruce placed his hands on his hips and glared at Don waiting for the rest of her answer.  
“This is Thor, the Norse God of Thunder…” Don said slowly. “He was… uh… punished by his father, Odin, for arrogance and sent to Earth to learn his lesson… I was the unlucky person to become a host to him. I’m supposed to teach him something.”  
“That doesn’t explain why he destroyed my speakers,” Bruce grumbled. Considering his condition and the state of the world, it wasn’t that hard to believe that his student aid was the host to the god of thunder.  
“Don was scared and crying,” Thor said. “I had to act to protect her.”  
“It was just a panic attack,” Don groaned. “I didn’t need to be protected from a song.”  
“I cannot tell the difference between a panic attack and you getting hurt,” Thor said shrugging.  
“I guess this explains the necklace,” Bruce said finally taking a seat. Don nodded. “Then why don’t you just ditch it?”  
Don sighed. “I’ve tried,” She said. “It keeps coming back.”  
“Are you okay?” Bruce asked looking her deeply in the eyes.  
Don nodded her head. “I’m fine,” she said quietly rubbing her eyes again.  
“Why did you have a panic attack? Do you know?” Bruce asked.  
Don flinched and moved away from Bruce suddenly. “I’m not gonna tell my professor my trauma,” She grumbled. All of a sudden her facade of strength was back. She looked angry at the suggestion that her professor try to find out why she was like that.  
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to offend you,” Bruce said raising his hands defensively.  
“Can I go home for the day?” Don asked standing up.  
“Uh, yeah,” Bruce said standing up himself.  
“I suppose, you will send me back into the necklace,” Thor said rolling his eyes.  
Don screwed her face up for a moment to wish him away. Before he disappeared, Thor quickly said, “It’s her father, but I don’t know what he did.”  
Don’s eyes widened, and she froze as Thor disappeared. She looked at Bruce then grabbed her bag and retreated. Bruce watched her go worried for her. Bruce stood around in silence before going back to the microscope he was using and peering inside. The blood sample under the glass was bright green and the glass was cracked. He disposed of it in the biohazard trash can with a long sigh.

Don sat down on her couch in her apartment shaking. She took a few deep breaths before calling upon Thor. He materialized in front of her prepared for her to chew him out, but instead she began to cry.  
“Why did you do that?” She shouted as hot, crocodile tears ran down her face.  
“He can help you. You have been hiding this for far too long,” Thor said. “You need to heal.”  
Don was scratching at her thumb again, and there was blood smear up and down it. Thor took her hand and held it to stop her from continuing to scrape at the raw skin. “I don’t want help,” She said softly her voice shaking.  
“I don’t believe that,” Thor said lifting her chin up, “and neither do you.”  
“I hate you,” Don said jerking her head and hand away from him.  
“I don’t believe that either,” Thor said.  
Don stood up and went into her room leaving Thor alone in the living room to do nothing.


	2. Don is a Useless Lesbian but That's Okay Since Jane Isn't

“You should take me to visit your Professor since he is the only person who knows of me.”  
Don glared at him. “You’ve lost your privileges,” She snapped.  
“So I have to stay in that damned necklace all day while you get to attend classes. That is not fair,” Thor grumbled.  
“It’s your fault,” Don said flipping on the news, but not watching it.  
“Jane Foster, isn’t she the woman you have a crush on?” Thor asked his eyes glued to the screen.  
Don looked over. It was Jane Foster, and Don did have a crush on her. “No,” Don lied as she watched Jane describe her experiments in very vague and non-academic terms.  
“You should ask her on a date,” Thor said.  
Don glared at him. “Shut up,” She said before she finished off her bowl of cereal.  
“I am sorry about yesterday,” Thor said softly. “I should not have come out without permission, and I should not have told your Professor that it was your father that caused you so much pain. I only want to help.”  
Don stared at him. “I know you didn’t mean harm, but I haven’t even told you why I’m so fucked up. I’m not gonna tell some random ass professor why I had an anxiety attack,” She said.  
“I feel that he could help. Maybe it is in my head, but I think he knows what it is like to be in your shoes,” Thor said.  
“You're imagining things,” Don grumbled.  
Her eyes passed the clock, and she decided it was time for her to go to her first class. Thor returned to the necklace, and she grabbed her backpack and headed out of her apartment. She rode the bus to campus with her headphones in during her commute. Her first class was abnormally dull, but she did sit next to Jane Foster, and as Thor pointed out she did have a crush on her. That made it at least bearable.  
Jane was friendly with Don, and Don thought she was the most intelligent person she ever met. That was probably why Don was so enamored. Listening to Jane explain her theories was amazing. She knew so much, and it always blew Don away.  
Don arrived in the class and took her seat before Jane arrived. Don tucked her necklace under her shirt then pulled her laptop out of her backpack.  
“Hey, Don,” Jane said walking behind her and dragging her hand along her shoulder as she passed.  
Don froze as her heart tried to leap out of her chest. “Hey,” She mumbled out. “I saw you on the news.”  
“What did you think? Did my theories sound clear?” Jane asked smiling widely.  
“Yeah, it sounded great,” Don said.  
“I like your shirt by the way,” Jane said pointing at her Captain America tee.  
Don smiled sheepishly. “Thanks.”  
“I wonder what he was like,” Jane said thoughtfully. Don shrugged; she really hadn’t thought about it much. “It’s so weird that there was a real superhero saving people way back in the 40s. I bet it would be amazing to be able to save people like he did.”  
Don smiled. “Yeah, I wish I could,” She said. For a moment, she thought of Thor. They stopped a few minor crimes before, but both times it was because Don was in danger. Part of her wanted to fight crime, but the other part of her was too scared to. She could still get shot; she was mortal after all.  
Jane smiled brightly at Don, and Don’s heart skipped a beat. She really was gorgeous. Class started before they could say anything else, and their ancient professor began his lecture for the next two hours. When class let out, Don stood up to leave class, but she stopped for a moment bucking up enormous amounts of courage.  
“Hey, Jane, you wanna grab lunch with me?”  
Jane’s eyes lit up. “Sure,” She said grabbing her backpack.  
Don and Jane walked to the dining hall together. Don’s heart was nearly beating out of her chest. Jane was brilliant and beautiful, and somehow Don was eating lunch with her. It was mind-blowing… It was…  
“You know, I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out,” Jane said taking Don’s hand suddenly. “You really don’t take a hint very well.”  
“What?” Don said staring at Jane with confusion all over her face.  
Jane began to laugh. “Oh my god, you are so cute,” She said as they reached the dining hall. “I’m gonna make you my girlfriend yet.”  
Don stared at Jane for a moment. Her brow furrowed, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally stuttering out, “Wait, you weren’t just being nice?”  
Jane was on the verge of tears from laughter. “No, I’ve been flirting with you since the first day of class,” She said. “I thought you knew.”  
Don’s face was red as they entered the dining hall. She mumbled about how she thought she was just being nice, and Jane laughed at her. The lady at the front took their meal cards and swiped them then they entered the cafeteria.  
“Well, since this isn’t an official date,” Jane said giggling as Don waited in line for her food, “let’s have an official one.”  
“Yeah,” Don said softly then a little louder she repeated herself. “Yeah, totally.”  
Jane smiled as they got their food then went to find them a table. “When’s your next class?” Jane asked as Don sat down.  
“This is my last class of the day, but I go and help Dr. Banner in about an hour,” Don said.  
Jane smiled widely. “I love Dr. Banner,” She said. “He’s brilliant. I’m actually really jealous of you.”  
Don smiled sheepishly. “It’s mostly filing papers for him. I haven’t helped him with whatever he’s working on right now,” She said. “He doesn’t really talk about it either.”  
Jane and Don ate lunch and talked and flirted. Don was a lot better about flirting back now that she realized Jane was actually flirting. The time passed way too quickly, and after what only felt like minutes Don had to go. Jane insisted that she walk her to Dr. Banner’s lab.  
Don was a little nervous about having to face Dr. Banner after yesterday, but they ended up at the lab a little earlier than what was normally required. Don was planning to apologize to him about yesterday, but the door was locked. Don peered into the room and saw a number of men in military uniforms standing around with their backs to the door.  
“That’s weird,” Jane said looking in as well. “Wonder what’s going on…”  
Don had a sinking feeling in her stomach. “He seems like he’s busy. I’ll come back in a couple minutes,” She said taking a few steps from the room.  
“I’m thirsty. Let’s get a coke,” Jane suggested.  
They walked to the vending machine that was at the end of the hall. Don dug inside her pocket a retrieved her wallet. She bought them both a coke, and they drank them for a few minutes until the men in uniforms left Dr. Banner’s lab. They both walked back towards it, and Jane grabbed Don’s hand and intertwined their fingers. Now the door was unlocked so Don walked inside and Jane followed.  
“Hey, Dr. Banner,” Don said smiling.  
Bruce looked up from his desk. He looked tired and older than he did the day before.  
“Good afternoon, Ms. Blake,” He said his voice low. “Oh, Ms. Foster, how’d you interview go?”  
Jane smiled. “It went well,” She said. “I’ve had a lot of phone calls about it. I’m pretty sure someone is gonna fund my research.”  
Bruce smiled at her, but he still looked so tired.  
“I’ll text you later, Don,” Jane said winking. “Bye, Dr. Banner.”  
Don and Bruce said their goodbyes to Jane then waited for the other to say something for awhile.  
“Uh, sorry about yesterday,” Don said finally easing the tension in the room.  
“It’s fine. You were emotionally compromised,” Bruce said rubbing his eyes.  
Don walked towards his desk. There were a few things in the lab that were missing. One of the tables were gone and a few chairs. Some the equipment looked like it had been dropped, but there were new speakers where the old ones used to be.  
“Uh, who were those men that were here just a few minutes ago?” Don asked wondering if it was them that took the table, chairs, and dropped the equipment.  
“That’s not a road you need to go down, Ms. Blake,” Bruce said looking up. “You’ve got your own monster to worry about.”


	3. Sometimes You Find Out Your Professor Can Turn Into a Giant Green Monster and That's Absolutely Okay

“Something weird is going on on campus.”  
Thor looked up from his protein heavy breakfast that he insisted on having every morning. “What do you mean?” He asked.  
“I don’t know, but I can feel it,” Don said. “I’m gonna let you come to campus with me. Remember you’re my brother and your name is Donald.”  
Thor lit up. He finished his breakfast and changed into street clothing. Don continued eating her cereal just as he came out of her bedroom wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black hoodie. Don frowned. “Aren’t you gonna be hot in that hoodie?” She asked.  
Thor shook his head. “I will be fine,” He said.  
Don shrugged and put her bowl in the sink.  
“Can we go early so that I can speak to your professor?” Thor asked.  
Don rolled her eyes. “Fine,” She said grabbing her backpack.  
Thor’s face lit up, and he put his hammer inside of her bag then walked out the door. He reminded Don of a golden retriever. As they waited for the bus, Don pulled out her phone. She had a snapchat from Jane. She opened it. It was a picture of the side of Jane’s face burrowed in her pillow captioned “good morning” with a kissy face emoji.  
Don took a picture of her face and captioned it “good morning” then sent it to Jane. Within seconds Jane sent her a text.

Jane: i thought u didnt have class until after lunch???  
Don: going to see banner before class  
Jane: o wanna meet for lunch?  
Don: can’t  
brother’s with me  
Jane: not good enough excuse  
Don: hes really with me  
Jane: i want to meet hin

Don looked over at Thor. “You wanna meet Jane?” She asked.  
“Yes,” Thor said immediately.

Don: ok meet u at 11  
Jane: yay! were not even dating yet and im already meeting the family

Don stared at her phone for some time. “Thor, do you having any family?” She asked.  
“I have my parents and a younger brother, why?”  
“Jus’ wondering,” Don said checking her phone again.  
She had a snap from Jane. It was a picture of Jane, still in bed, captioned, “Show me what he looks like.”  
Don turned to Thor. “Smile,” She said.  
Thor smiled widely, and Don took a snap then sent it to Jane. Almost immediately she got a snap back of Jane with a surprised look captioned, “damn the good looking genes run strong in your family.” Don sent her a snap of her looking very unamused and captioned it, “really? I always thought he was the ugly one of the family.”  
Don slipped her phone in her pocket as the bus pulled up. She hoped that the bus driver wouldn’t ask for their IDs since Thor didn’t have one. She probably needed to make him a fake one sooner or later, but she just hadn’t gotten around to it. The bus driver didn’t as usually. Don sat down, and Thor sat next to her. She put her headphones in for the rest of the bus ride.  
They got off the bus and headed towards Dr. Banner’s lab. Don knocked on the door a few times. She heard something on the other side of the door like a growl, but no one told her she could come in. She checked the door, and it was unlocked so she turned it slowly. Something felt wrong about what was going on, and Thor seemed to feel it too because he retrieved his hammer from her backpack.  
“Dr. Banner?” Don said as she stepped inside cautiously.  
The room was absolutely destroyed. Shattered tables and chairs and equipment was all over the room. There was a growl in from the corner of the room, and she turned slowly to see what was making the noise. Hunched over in the corner was a hulking mass of green body. The creature was growling as if it were a dog. Don took a step away from it, but as she looked closer at the monster she realized that it looked familiar. Its face was the same as Dr. Banner, though it was green.  
“Dr. Banner?” Don said softly before taking a step towards the Hulk.  
The beast growled at her, and she took a step back again.  
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Don said softly. “Are you alright?”  
“Go,” The hulk growled.  
“So, you talk. What do you call yourself since you don’t like Dr. Banner?” Don asked trying to act like everything was normal.  
Thor put his hammer back in Don’s backpack now deciding it was probably safe enough to not need it. The monster growled at her and slowly stood up showing Don his massive height. He had to be at least 8 ft.  
“No name…” the hulk growled, and if Don hadn’t been standing next to Thor she would have been terrified.  
“Can I call you, uh, Hulk then?” Don said, “Cuz you’re big, and it just feels right.”  
Hulk stared at her dumbfounded. She was the only person to see him and not be afraid. “Hulk,” he said slowly sitting down again.  
“So, uh… Hulk, were you the big green monster on the news a few months ago?” Don asked also sitting down. Thor sat down as well.  
Hulk nodded his head.  
“Damn, I thought that was fake,” Don said. “I should have known better, ‘specially since I already had Thor back then.”  
Hulk started to shake then suddenly he began to contort in pain. He was shrinking until finally, he was the size of a regular person. His pants were way too large for him at this point as they were stretched out while he was in his hulk form. Thor went to his side and helped him so he was sitting up. Bruce was shaking and breathing heavily. He looked weak and not just a little tired.  
Don looked in the closet for a lab coat, but instead of just finding lab coats she found a lot of pants and shirts. She grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt then dropped them in Dr. Banner’s lap.  
“You alright?” She asked.  
“No,” Bruce said touching his head gently.  
“So this is what you meant by a monster. Didn’t think you meant it quite so literally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing text messages and snapchats is actually really hard :/


	4. So You Can't Tell Your Girlfriend What Happened, but At Least You've Got a Girlfriend Now

“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”  
Dr. Banner changed into the clothing that Don gave him from his closet. Don and Thor politely turned their backs on him as he changed. After he was changed he took a seat on the nearest chair to rest.  
“I feel like I deserve to know what happened to make you into the not-so-jolly green giant,” Don said pulling up a chair to sit in front of him.  
“It’s a long story,” Bruce said. “I was working on a way to recreate the Super-Serum that created Captain America, but something went horribly wrong. I’ve been trying to find a cure for years while pretending I am still trying to recreate the serum.”  
“That’s what all those men in military uniforms were here for,” Don whispered.  
Thor walked towards Bruce. “What caused you to transform?” He asked.  
“Usually it is anger, but not this instance. I’m afraid this time it was because I was trying to neutralize the gamma radiation in my blood,” Bruce said.  
Don’s eyes widened. “Gamma radiation?”  
“Gamma radiation is a powerful energy source, but it is very volatile,” Thor said. “Has your realm found a way to break it down?”  
Don and Bruce stared at Thor in shock. Don hadn’t thought of him as the type of person to know anything about Gamma radiation because he rarely showed any sign that he was anything more than a warrior.  
“No,” Bruce replied.  
“Have Asgardians?” Don asked curiously.  
Thor nodded his head. “I never studied it, but I know the basic idea behind it,” He said.  
Don shook her head slowly. “You never cease to surprise me,” She said.  
There was a knock on the door and then the door opened. Don panicked and turned to the door, but it was just Jane slowly peeking her head inside.  
“Holy shit, what happened in here?” Jane asked.  
“Burglars,” Bruce without missing a beat. “If Ms. Blake and Th…”  
“Donald,” Thor interrupted him.  
“Donald hadn’t found me who knows how long it would have been before I came to.”  
“We need to call the cops,” Jane said digging into her pocket for her phone.  
“Trust me, Ms. Foster, it’s better not to get the police involved just this once,” Dr. Banner said.  
“Can you at least tell me what’s going on?” Jane asked   
“Jane, I promise, if it gets dangerous I’ll tell you, but right now, just don’t worry about it,” Don said softly.  
Jane looked alarmed. “If it gets dangerous!? The lab is destroyed! How much more dangerous can it get?”  
“Ms. Foster, I promise you, Don is not in danger,” Dr. Banner said looking up. “I would never do that to one of my students, but I can’t tell you what’s going on.”  
Jane looked at Don, and she looked frightened. Don walked over to her and put her hands on both sides of her cheeks. “Don’t worry,” She said very quietly so that only Jane could hear her. “I’m not in dangers, and I won’t let anything happen to you or me.”  
Jane nodded her head slowly and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She wiped them off and leaned her head on Don’s shoulder. “I’m scared,” She whispered.  
“Don’t be,” Don said quietly. “I won’t let anything happened to my girlfriend.”  
Jane looked up and smiled sheepishly. “Hey, don’t we both have to agree to be girlfriends,” She said.  
“Is that a no then?” Don asked as her hands slid down Jane’s shoulders and took her hands.  
Jane shook her head. “No, I’ll be your girlfriend,” She said laughing slightly.  
Don smiled.”Now, let’s go to lunch,” She said gently walking towards the door.  
Thor smiled at Bruce. “I will see you again,” He said before following Jane and Don out the door of Bruce’s lab.  
Despite how shaken up Bruce was, he couldn’t help but feel warmth wash over him at the sight of Thor’s smile. He let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. His body ached all over from the strain of his transformation. He didn’t know what he would tell the university happened to his lab, but at that moment he didn’t care. He was already thinking of how to disappear. Where to go?

Jane held tightly to Don’s hand as they walked into the food court of the student center. Thor followed behind them like a bodyguard, but while he appeared stoic it was only because he was unsure of what to make of the student center. Don never took Thor to the student center before, and she rarely took him on campus.  
“Donald, what do you want to eat?” Don asked looking over her shoulder at Thor.  
It took a moment to register that she was talking to him. “No, what is there?” Thor asked.  
“A chicken place, a chinese place, a pizza place…” Don said slowly losing her train of thought as she looked at Jane smile at her.  
“Try the chinese place,” Jane said to Thor. “It gives you the most food for the price.”  
Thor smiled and nodded his head. “Then I will try this chinese place,” He said.  
Don shook her head and took out her wallet. They all decided that they wanted Chinese food. Thor was blown away by the options that there was, but he kept his cool. He asked Don what was good, and she helped him pick a meal. She got him a plate instead of a bowl since she knew how he could pack away food. Honestly, it took all of her money to keep him from starving at home. She got a bowl and so did Jane, and Don paid for everything. They sat down at one of the tables.  
“So, uh, Donald, why haven’t I ever seen you on campus?” Jane asked.  
“I’m not enrolled,” Thor replied.  
“Oh, are you just visiting, or…” Jane started to ask.  
“He lives with me right now. He’s trying to get a job here,” Don said.  
“Oh, did you just move?” Jane asked.  
Thor had his mouth full of chow mein, and he took a moment to chew his food. Don had to fight with him to do that because when she first met him he had very few manners at all. “Yes,” Thor said, “from home actually.”  
“Where’s home for you guys anyway?” Jane asked.  
Don looked down at her hands. “Not right now…” She said quietly picking at her thumb. Thor noticed her tearing at the skin and grabbed her hand gently.  
“Did you see on the news that they may have found the plane that Captain America went down in?” Thor asked to change the subject.  
Jane nodded her head vigorously. “We can finally know what happened to him,” She said.  
Don hadn’t seen that, but then again she never watched the news as closely as Thor. It was practically all he watched. He did learn a lot about the world from it, and it helped him a lot with the way he talked, but it did make for some dull conversations.  
“They had a whole hour program about him, and I found it very informative. I would have liked to meet him,” Thor said. “He seemed like an honorable man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I referenced the Incredible Hulk tv show because that's what inspired this. I'd love some comments!


	5. Bruce Comes Over to Talk but Doesn't End Up Just Talking

“What’re you doing at my apartment, Dr. Banner?”  
Dr. Banner stood in the doorway wearing a black hoodie and sunglasses despite it being a muggy night. He kept looking over his shoulder as if he was afraid someone was following him.  
“I need to talk to you,” He said. “Can I come inside?”  
Don stepped aside to let him in and watched as he wearily sat himself down on her couch. “You alright?” She asked.  
“I am, but I’m worried,” Bruce said rubbing his hands over his face. “I filed a police report, but I don’t think they believed my story. I might have to disappear soon.”  
Don stared at her professor as Thor walked into the living room wearing nothing but a towel as his hair dripped all over the carpet. Bruce stared at Thor for some time because admittedly Thor was gorgeous. “What do you mean by disappear?” Don asked.  
“I don’t know. Change my name to David, move to another state or country maybe,” Bruce said finally tearing his eyes off of Thor’s abs.  
“That doesn’t work nowadays. Maybe in like the seventies, but it’s 2018,” Don said. “It’s pretty much impossible to just disappear.”  
“Maybe you should go public with the beast,” Thor said.  
Don turned to look at him after not hearing him enter. She looked away quickly. “Put some clothes on,” She snapped.  
Thor grumbled something under his breath and left the room. Bruce tried to hide his disappointment. Don turned back to him. “Thor does have a point,” She said. “Hiding the Hulk just puts you in a position where you have to make up excuses whenever you transform.”  
“The beast is so volatile; I can’t,” Bruce said shaking his head.  
“He didn’t hurt me or Thor,” Don said. “I’ve been doing research on what happened during all of your attacks, and you’ve never killed anyone.”  
“That doesn’t mean that it couldn’t,” Bruce said. “There are too many variables involved for me to know what the creature…”  
“Hulk,” Don interrupted.  
“What?”  
“Call him the Hulk,” Don said. “He let me call him that.”  
“You gave him a name?” Bruce said slowly sitting up.  
Don shrugged. “He got mad when I called him Dr. Banner so I gave him an alternative,” She said.  
Thor came back into the room in joggers and a t-shirt. The shirt was a little tight on his shoulders, chest, and arms, and Don suspected that he chose it on purpose. Bruce unintentionally stared at his arms and chest. He bit his lip slightly, and Don almost left the room.  
“Recently, there have been a lot more people born with natural powers, there are people getting powers through the weirdest ways, and there’s that dude with the suit, Iron whatever,” Don said. “I figure that now is the time to come forward if you wanted to.”  
Bruce thought for a moment. “I’ll have to think about that,” He said softly, “but to come out as the Hulk… It is terrifying.”  
“I’m sure it will be okay,” Don said. “It’s like coming out of the closet, but like instead of gay, it’s that you turn into a green monster.”  
Bruce laughed slightly. “Haven’t come out of that one either,” He mumbled.  
Don pursed her lips. “Think you just did, Doc,” She said standing up and stretching. “I gotta make dinner. Thor doesn’t know how to work the stove yet.”  
“Stay for dinner,” Thor piped up.  
Bruce’s eyes widened, and he coughed slightly and covered his face with his hand to hide the blush rising to his cheeks. “I can’t. Ms. Blake is one of my students…”  
“You’re already here,” Don said. “Besides, Thor’s not one of your students.”  
Bruce shrugged then mumbled an alright. Thor smiled and shifted so that he was facing Bruce more comfortably. Don cooked a few generic brand hamburger helpers and tossed some vegetables in the microwave since she had another adult over, and she figured she couldn’t get away with just the pasta with him around. Thor was obviously flirting with her professor which she didn’t really mind so much, but she sure wished she didn’t always have to be around at all times.  
“Set the table, Thor,” Don said as she dropped the pot of pasta onto a pot holder.  
Thor got up and set the table like she asked him to. She grabbed the veggies out of the microwave and stirred in some salt and pepper to make sure they were as bland as they normally would be. She wasn’t the most stellar chef, but she made due with her severely lacking spice cabinet and dollar box dinners and lots of eggs. She grabbed a couple serving spoons then placed the vegetables by the pasta.  
“It’s not really much…” Don admitted as she sat down at the kitchen table.  
Bruce looked over it and smiled slightly. “I remember what it was like in college,” He said before sitting down. “It’s a step up from ramen.”  
“I have that in the pantry,” Don said gesturing to a closet in the corner of the kitchen. “You just gotta put an egg in it and it tastes okay, but only get Nongshim otherwise it’s just gonna be bad no matter what.”  
Thor was piling his plate with food. Don got decent portions, and she didn’t talk much during the dinner leaving Thor and Bruce to talk together. Thor was an effortless flirter; he just went for it. Honestly, Don was impressed. Once she took him to a bar to get him out of the house, but surprisingly, the God of Thunder was not a very good wing-man. He spent too much time talking about her merits and how honorable she was and not enough time letting her be herself. Don finished her dinner. She was tired by this time so she put her plate up and announced she was going to bed then she turned in leaving Thor and Bruce alone.  
Thor put up the rest of the food then brought his attention back to Bruce with much more charm. Poor Bruce didn’t know what hit him. The touches shared between them were already borderline intimate, and Thor had no intention of being bashful. Bruce welcome it though. It was a long time since anyone had paid so much attention to him, and while he wasn’t usually so willing to be touched, but he felt safe around Thor. Which was probably why they were making out on the couch despite only such a short time of knowing each other.  
“What about Don?” Bruce asked finally coming up for air.  
Thor looked confused for a moment. “I assure you, there is nothing between Don and me besides friendship,” He said. “She is not interested in men.”  
Bruce laughed slightly. “No, I mean, what if she hears us,” He said.  
“She is asleep,” Thor said dipping down to kiss Bruce again.  
Bruce placed his fingers on Thor’s lips. “How do you know?” He stressed.  
“She and I are connected. I know her feelings. She is content, and she is only content in sleep,” Thor said leaning down once again for a kiss.  
Bruce closed his eyes and let Thor make him feel something for the first time in awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love some comments! Tell me what you think so far!


	6. Sometimes You Feel Sick Because the World Learns About Your Secret Norse God

“I’m not third wheeling again tonight.”  
“I can’t go without you,” Thor begged. “If it were the other way around, I would go with you and Jane.”  
Don frowned. She hated this. She didn’t hate that her professor was dating her unfortunate problem, but she did hate that she had to be with him at all times. “I have a date with Jane,” Don grumbled.  
“Perfect, we can go to the same place,” Thor said lighting up.  
“I’m not double dating with my professor,” Don snapped.  
Thor frowned. He knew that Don’s date took precedence over his own. “Very well, call Bruce,” He said softly.  
Don got out her phone and handed it to him. Thor dialed in Bruce’s number and waited. “Hey,” he said.  
“Hey.”  
“Don has a date tonight so I have to cancel,” Thor said.  
Bruce laughed through the phone softly. “That’s fine. We should probably make more plans while she’s awake since everything we do has to involve her,” He said.  
Thor smiled and bit his lip. “Yeah,” He said.  
“I’ve got something I need to do. Have her call me later so we can set up a time that works for all of us,” Bruce said.  
“Okay. Love you.”

Bruce’s breath got caught in his throat. “Bye,” He said quickly before hanging up his phone suddenly. His heart was beating hard in his chest, and he was sick to his stomach. He took a moment to catch his breath and to stop his hands from shaking before looking back into his microscope. The blood was green again and the glass was cracked. He tossed it into the biohazard waste container then left the room for some air.  
The government agents that often visited his lab were asking more questions lately about his research. He was on edge and afraid, and Thor was his only outlet. He worried that he was using Thor and that what he felt wasn’t worthwhile for the Asgardian. He also worried that Thor would stop feeling anything for him when he realized that he was a using him. Because Bruce was using Thor. There was no way around it. He kept telling himself that he was wasting Thor’s time, but he was hooked on Thor.  
As Bruce sat on one of the benches outside his building breathing in deeply to calm his nerves after his phone call with Thor, a man sat down next to him. The man was black with an eye patch. He was silent for some time, and Bruce shifted uncomfortably. There were a number of other unoccupied benches around the building, but the man chose to sit next to him.  
“How’s your big green friend?” The man asked.  
“Beg your pardon?”  
“My name is Nick Fury,” The man said turning to Bruce, “director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.”  
Bruce stared at Fury for some time trying to decide if this was a joke or not. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand where you got the idea that I’m the Hulk,” He said. As soon as Hulk left his mouth he wanted to hit himself over the head. No one called the creature the Hulk…  
“Is that what you call him? The Hulk. I like it; better than the Angry Green Giant,” Fury said.  
“One of my students name it that…” Bruce admitted. “Listen, I don’t want anything to do with the Military…”  
“Good thing, I’m not the military,” Fury said standing up, “but I am powerful, and I do know a lot of things.”  
“The Hulk, he’s not controllable,” Bruce said. “I wouldn’t be much use to you.”  
“You leveled a whole city,” Fury said. “I think you should join the Avengers. They could use the extra muscle.”  
“What are the Avengers?”

Don looked in the mirror. She slipped on her leather jacket over her white t-shirt. She would have greased her hair back if she has any left after her buzzcut, but she figured that a buzz was just as good as a ducktail in this instance. Jane came out of the bathroom with her face meticulously put on. Her dress was a flattering blue swing dress, and she looked straight out of a classic movie.  
Jane smiled and hugged Don over the shoulders. “You look very handsome,” She said. Don turned around and tried to kiss Jane, but Jane put her finger on Don’s lips. “Babe, I love you, but I spent too much time for you to mess up my lipstick before we even get to the party.”  
“You’re right,” Don said smiling. “Forgive me.”  
Jane grinned then grabbed her purse. “Well, let’s go,” She said.  
They got inside Jane’s car and drove towards the party. Don stared at Jane the whole ride smiling like a lovesick fool. Jane caught her and laughed before giving Don her hand to hold. She kissed Jane’s hand gently just as they pulled up to the ballroom. While at the party they danced for hours, and by the third Jane was too tired to stay on her feet for much longer so she and Don sat down at one of the tables. Don was fanning Jane with a pamphlet that she got from somewhere.  
“My feet hurt,” Jane said looking down at her short heels.  
“We should go back soon,” Don said fanning herself for a minute.  
Jane nodded her head just as a waiter walked up to them. He was tall and skinny, and his hair was long and greasy, but he had a tray of champagne. Don got them both and glass. She handed him a tip for his work and he thanked her, but his eyes were on the necklace around her neck.  
“Nice necklace,” He said.  
“Thanks,” Don said breathlessly. “You can find the same one online for like twenty bucks.”  
“I really don’t think you could,” The man said suddenly dropping the tray onto the ground with a loud crash.  
Don jumped up ready to beat the waiter up for dropping champagne on her and Jane, but the man was in a different outfit now. It was green and black, and he had this hideous golden helmet with two large horns. The room erupted into screams as the lights went out suddenly, and the only source of light was the greasy man.  
Don didn’t even have to think about letting Thor out because he was already out of the necklace with his hammer at the ready. “LOKI!” Thor shouted.  
“Don’t worry, brother,” Loki taunted. “I won’t hurt your precious host, though I don’t know why father chose such a weak creature.”  
The roof suddenly cracked and pieces began to fall on the guests. Thor destroyed each piece before it hit anyone, but Loki was gone before he could do anything to him. Everyone in the ballroom was shaken up, but no one was hurt. Don stood glued to the spot. Her stomach ached, and she wanted to throw up. The only thing going through her mind was that she was in trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love some comments! What do you think Loki's planning?


	7. Being Selfish is Alright Sometimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up this chapter is dealing heavily with Bruce and Don's trauma so like be careful (like I doubt it is triggering but like stay safe guys)

“Are you alright?”  
Don finally snapped out of her trance. “Yeah,” Don said before turning to Jane to make sure she was okay.  
Jane was fine, but she was staring at Thor. “You’re not human are you?” She asked finally.  
Thor laughed and shook his head. “I am the God of Thunder,” He said, “I think you two should go home. You are both shaken up.”  
Jane nodded her head, and they walked to Jane’s car despite the rain that seemed to have come from nowhere. Thor didn’t follow them so once they were too far away he was automatically recalled to Don’s necklace. At first, the ride was silent and the only sound was from the radio and that was just making static.  
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jane asked softly.  
Don looked at Jane for a moment then buried her head in her hands. “I was afraid to,” She said finally after a long silence.  
“I’m not mad at you,” Jane said reaching out for Don. “No… I’m just confused.”  
Don looked up at Jane then rubbed her eyes. “God, everyone knows about Thor now,” She said trying not to cry which wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. She just felt numb and empty.  
“That’s good,” Jane said. “You can help more people that way.”  
Don’s brow creased, and she looked up at Jane. “What?”  
“You’re a superhero,” Jane said smiling as they pulled up to Don’s apartment.  
Don opened and closed her mouth not knowing how to respond. She got out of the car and walked up the stairs to her apartment trying to calculate a response as Jane followed behind waiting for one. When they enter her apartment Don turned to Jane. “I have no intentions of being a hero. I’ve had a hard enough time just getting through school,” She said.  
Jane stared at her for some time trying to understand what Don was saying. “How can you just not be a hero if you have the power to?” She asked her voice edging on anger.  
Don stared at her wondering how she couldn’t understand what she was feeling. “I don’t want to be the hero,” Don said confused and betrayed.  
“People are hurt every day and you have the ability to save some of them. Isn’t selfish that you don’t?” Jane said her voice very accusative.  
“I’ve spent my whole life trying to be a hero, and every single time I’ve tried I’ve failed,” Don said her voice rising. “I’ve had too much taken from me to be a hero any more.”  
Jane glared at Don. “I can’t stay with you knowing you sit by and let people get hurt when you have the ability to stop it,” She said.  
Don’s face fell. “Then maybe you shouldn’t,” She said without thinking.  
The room grew eerily silent. Jane took a few steps back then tossed open the door. “I never want to see you again!” She shouted then left.  
Don stared at the door for a long time. She felt like someone had thrown ice water on her then punched her in the gut again and again. There was a knock at the door, but she didn’t have to energy to answer it or even tell the person at the door to come in. The door opened anyway, and it was Bruce.  
“I saw the news. Are you and Jane okay?” He asked.  
Don reached for the necklace and threw it on the ground. Tears were welling up, and Don was drowning in them. Bruce hugged her tightly as she sobbed on his shoulder.  
“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”  
“I’m not hurt. Neither of us were hurt,” Don said crying. “Jane left me.”  
Bruce rubbed her back gently. “Why?” He asked.  
“She said I was selfish for not being a hero,” Don sobbed. “I’m not selfish, am I?”  
Bruce was quiet for some time trying to find the right answer. “You are,” He said finally, “but sometimes, people like me and you, need to be selfish…”  
Don looked up at Bruce and wiped her eyes. “But Thor isn’t like Hulk,” She said. “He’s with me for a reason.”  
“I wasn’t talking about Thor or Hulk,” Bruce said softly. “I was talking about how we grew up…”  
Don stared at Bruce not understanding what he meant.  
“When you spend so long being mistreated, it can feel like you’re a monster,” Bruce said. “You’re not your father if you choose not to be the hero.”  
Don slowly sunk down onto the floor crying, and Bruce sunk down with her in a tight hug. He shushed her gently. “It’s okay,” He said quietly over and over again until Don was out of tears.  
She sat there numbly. “He hated us… My brothers, my mother, me… He hated all of us for tying him down.” She said quietly barely louder than a whisper. “I got away…”  
“Don, getting away from an abusive situation isn’t selfish of you,” Bruce said gently.  
“My mother didn’t get away,” Don sobbed.  
Bruce closed his eyes as he prepared for her next words. He knew what was next, and he knew why he met her and why he knew her symptoms so well. “He killed her…”  
“Don, he killed her,” Bruce said quietly as his voice cracked and his own tears fell, “not you.” These words were as much for him as they were for her as all the memories of his own trauma came rushing back like a punch in the face.  
“I should have stopped him,” Don screamed. The memory of a young man saying those same words flashed through Bruce’s head, and he said the words that he remembered being told over and over again.  
“Don, you couldn’t have. You were just a child,” Bruce said resting his forehead on the top of her head. “You were just… Don, did you watch your mother die?” He finally asked the question, and he was afraid of the answer.  
Don nodded her head slowly. Bruce looked up at the roof and wiped his own eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat.  
“Don, there is nothing I can say to you that will heal what you’re feeling, but trust me I know exactly what you’re going through…” Bruce said shaking, “and no one should ever have to feel this way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is literally the reason I wrote this fic. I'd love some comments! :)


	8. Being in One Piece Sometimes Isn't Enough

“Don, are you feeling any better?”  
Don looked away from the TV which was on the news as always. Don shrugged before looking back at the television.  
“You should take a day off from class,” Thor said. “You don’t look so good.”  
Don turned the TV off and stood up. She glared at Thor, and he let out a long sigh and returned to the necklace. She went into her bedroom and changed into nicer clothing then grabbed her backpack and went to campus. She went to the campus coffee shop and took a seat in the most secluded corner. She pulled out her laptop and looked up Captain America. She was three pages into her google search when a woman with long black hair in a military green sweater and black skinny jeans placed a coffee in front of her. Don looked at the girl for a moment trying to decide what to make of her.  
“I thought you might like a coffee. You’ve been here for two hours,” She said smiling at Don.  
“Thanks,” Don said looking back down at her laptop. Her brow creased then she looked back up at the girl. “Sorry, I’ve been having a bad week. I’m not trying to be rude to you.”  
The girl smiled at Don. “It’s fine. We’ve all been there,” She said. “You writing a paper?”  
Don shook her head. “Just researching,” She said.  
“I like your necklace,” The girl said sitting down. “You a history major?”  
“Biomed,” Don replied before she took a sip of the coffee. It was the kind she always got when she did get coffee. She looked up at the girl astonished for a moment.  
“I asked the lady what you usually got. I’m not psychic,” She said laughing.  
Don smiled slightly. “I’m Don,” She said sticking out her hand.  
“Lucy. I’m a history major. That’s why I guessed that. I thought you might be in my Norse Mythology class.”  
“Nah, just got it as a gift,” Don said.  
“It’s nice,” Lucy said smiling. “Mjolnir right?”  
Don nodded her head. “Supposed to protect me,” She said. “Don’t know how it’s working out.”  
“You look like you’re in one piece so I think it’s doing pretty well,” Lucy said warmly.  
“I guess so,” Don mumbled bashfully.

Don walked into Bruce’s lab. He was sitting on his desk talking to Nick Fury.  
“Should I come back later?” Don asked.  
Bruce looked over at her then back at Nick Fury. “No, Don, he’s here for you,” He said finally.  
Don frowned and crossed her arms expecting Fury to be some kind of really weird therapist. “Have you ever heard of the Avengers Initiative?” Fury asked.  
Don’s eyes widened for a moment. “No,” she lied not entirely trusting Fury.  
“It’s not a secret. We’re trying to create a team of the strongest Enhanced to protect ourselves from aliens,” Fury said. “If we didn’t want you to find it do you think we put it somewhere you could find it so easily? You found it on the fourth page of Google for God’s sake.”  
“I don’t want to be a hero,” Don said.  
“I told you, Director Fury,” Bruce said. “She’s…”  
“Let’s ask Thor,” Fury interrupted.  
Don closed her eyes for a minute, and Thor appeared. He towered over Fury. He turned to Don with worry on his face. “Are you in danger?”  
Don shook her head.  
“So you’re Thor, the God of Thunder,” Fury said looking Thor up and down. “Taller than I imagined.”  
“And who, might I ask, are you?” Thor said rising up to be even taller.  
“I’m Nick Fury the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m here to recruit you to be an Avenger.”  
“I do not know what an Avenger is,” Thor said looking at Don for answers.  
“It’s a team of superheroes to defend Earth from enemies, like aliens,” Don said explaining it in terms he would understand since she wasn’t sure what kind of jargon Fury would spout to him.  
“I am an alien,” Thor said.  
“We know, but since you are stuck on Earth and your brother is popping in to say hello and wreck havoc, we thought you might want to help us a little bit,” Fury said.  
“It is not my decision to make,” Thor said looking at Don.  
“I don’t want to be a hero,” Don repeated crossing her arms on her chest.  
Bruce closed his eyes for a moment knowing what was next in the conversation, but Fury surprised him. “Have you ever wanted to meet Captain America?” He asked.  
“He’s dead,” Don said not understanding where he was going with this.  
“Not as dead as you think he is…”

Don stared out the helicopter with her mouth wide. Bruce was sitting restlessly next to her after she insisted that she wouldn’t go anywhere without him because he made her feel safe. Her mind was on Jane and their fight. As she looked down at the city below she wondered if she would die instantly from this height.  
“How are you two back there?” The agent, Phil Coulson, in the front asked.  
Bruce mumbled something about it being high up, and Don took the chance to ask how high they were.  
“We’re about, oh, a thousand feet up,” Coulson said.  
Instant death, Don thought pressing her hand to the glass.  
“How was your day before you were asked to be an Avenger?” He asked trying to take his mind of the height.  
“I met a cute girl at the cafe,” Don said thinking about Lucy for the first time since she met Fury.  
“Are you moving on after Jane then?” Bruce asked.  
Don shrugged. “She gave me a free coffee.”  
Bruce smiled, but before he could say anything Coulson told them they were descending. Don touched her necklace gently as the helicopter pad drew closer and closer.  
“How was your first helicopter ride?” Coulson asked Don smiling.  
“I like planes better,” Don admitted.  
Coulson smiled. “So do I.”  
They walked through the halls of the building that the helicopter pad was on. Don and Bruce stayed close to the agent leading them through the building with ease. He explained some things to them, but Don was too busy trying to memorize everything she saw. It was incredibly high tech everywhere; all of it was way more advanced than even the newest equipment that she used in Dr. Banner’s lab.  
“He’s inside this room,” Coulson said placing his hand on the doorknob.  
Don bit her lip and looked at Bruce. “I’m fucking terrified,” She said finally then the door opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot that I had this chapter written, please comment I live for validation :)


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